Cameron Booher

Years as a Camper: 6 (one year of Starter Camp and five years attending first session)

Years as a Staff Member/Positions held: 5 (one summer working in the chandlery, two as a SIC, two as a Motorboating UA)

Current Profession and Title/Years in role: Senior Organizational Development Consultant for The Washington Post (I’m on the HR team). I’ve been here for four-and-a-half years.

Would you tell us  about your career path and passions?

I was always interested in how adults learn. I didn’t actively seek out a career in HR and then I landed in the recruiting space at Volkswagen. I was bringing people on board but then I got invested in them. That’s how I started to explore the training, learning and development space.

Can you provide a brief overview of your job responsibilities?

I manage several programs related to employee growth, leadership development, performance management, employee engagement and culture. Essentially, once people join The Post, my programs provide them with tools and opportunities so they feel like they can grow their skill sets, and have long and fulfilling careers here! Some days I’m teaching a workshop on feedback, some days I’m leading a new hire orientation, and some days I’m examining employee survey data. I love it because every day is a mixed bag, and I get to lend my skills to different projects and interact with the smartest people in the industry.

What skills do you train on that individuals can focus on to be a stronger asset to their employer?

One of the programs I run at The Post is for new managers. We talk about making the mind shift from individual contributor to manager. When you become a manager you need to shift time allocation and prioritize team outputs rather than personal. We talk with our leaders about being there for their teams as a coach and mentor who clears obstacles, supports and lifts up others.

Do you have any career advice for members of our Camp community?

Look for the companies whose values match yours, and who are doing the type of work you want to do, and then go from there. People don’t work at Seafarer just because it’s a summer job – we’re fundamentally drawn to the mission and values of Camp. I started my career at Volkswagen, because I wanted to work for a company that was changing the future of transportation. I moved to The Post because I believe in the truth, holding power to account, and the freedom of the press (and how many jobs out there are constitutionally protected in the First Amendment?). When you’re out there in the real world, don’t forget the values that you hold dear, and find the spaces that align with them.

What do you believe have been some of your greatest personal and professional accomplishments? Is there a goal toward which you are currently working?

Professionally, I was honored to have received The Post’s Outstanding Contribution Award last September, which is given quarterly to an employee who demonstrates outstanding work. I received it after spearheading an internal development conference, which drew over 500 attendees to experience some of the best work and people The Post has to offer. I was deeply flattered to have been recognized for that work.

Personally, I’ve become a big runner, and have run three marathons. Run A Kid to Camp was one of the ways I really got into running. I’m training for my fourth (Marine Corp Marathon) in October, and my ultimate goal is to finish all six Abbott World Major Marathons – I’m halfway there!

How do the values or skills you learned at Camp show up in your everyday work and/or personal life?

“Things don’t just happen; you make them happen” is a quote I still think about daily. Camp taught me perseverance, patience, and flexibility. Whether I was braving jellyfish to achieve the final sail for my Sunfish Master, or am developing a tricky leadership workshop, I know how to overcome obstacles and get results because of Camp. Whether I was dealing with a camper homesickness issue or am helping a new employee navigate their complicated benefits offerings, I honed my patience and empathy skills at Camp. And whether I was pivoting to create fun cabin activities on a rainy afternoon, or am tasked with creating a demographics report on a tight deadline, my ability to be flexible started at Camp.

Is there a person or a situation that had a huge influence on you while you were at Camp? How and why did they/it impact you?

Two come to the top of my mind, and they are Christie Jennison and Jennifer Smith.

Christie was my co-counselor my first year as a cabin counselor, and whatever challenges came our way that summer (homesickness, cabin issues), she was a true partner with me. She handled each situation with grace and compassion, and a whole lot of fun.

Jennifer and I met on staff (as campers, she attended second session and I attended first session, so we never overlapped), and she quickly became one of my favorite Seafarer people. We initially bonded over our paleness and freckles (not an ideal combination for 12 weeks in the sun!), and then everything else. She made me feel so welcomed and accepted and is the embodiment of a true Seafarer Friend (there’s a reason there’s a song about them!).

Favorite Camp meal: Saturdays: they started serving quiche at breakfast when I was a counselor, and it was flaky and delicious…and of course chocolate milk and fudgesicles at lunch!

Favorite special event at Camp: This isn’t a traditional special Camp event, but it was the most special to me. When I was a motorboating UA, one summer after Candlelight, the entire UA team and Camp Directors gathered in a circle next to the flagpole and raised our candles and sang songs and lived in this truly magical and spontaneous moment. Someone snapped a picture, and it’s become one of my most cherished memories from my time at Seafarer. Also, I might be the only former SIC who says this, but I loved Friday night letter writing!

Devotion you best remember from Camp: Also, not a traditional devotion, but I loved Vespers, especially at the River Stage when the sun was setting. They were perfectly peaceful and put you in a great mindset for the week ahead.

If you had to have an intro song every time you walked into a room, what would it be? Something by ABBA or Maggie Rogers, who are at the top of my rotation these days.

Do you have a hidden talent? I’ve got a knack for remembering song lyrics.

What three words best describe you? Thoughtful, ambitious, creative.

What would you eat if you could only have one food for the rest of your life? Give me a buffet of fresh fruit and I will be a happy woman!